Best medium SUVs | The Car Expert (2024)

Expert Ratings

The definitive ranking of the best and worst medium SUVs on sale in the UK

This is the definitive ranking of the best and worst medium SUVs on sale in the UK.

How can we make such a bold claim? Because this list isn’t just based on our opinion. We’ve pulled together tens of millions of key data points on every new car (as well as a growing number of near-new used cars), including more than 15,000 new car reviews from 35 of the UK’s top motoring websites. We also factor in complete safety data from Euro NCAP, reliability data and five-year running cost information.

All this adds up to the most comprehensive analysis of expert opinion and real-world data found anywhere in the motoring world.

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The small SUV sector might see the most action in the UK market right now but medium SUVs are not far behind. And no matter what their size, the vast majority of today’s SUVs are far removed from the earliest models which were basically spartan machines designed to go far off the beaten track.

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Skoda Enyaq iV

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The Skoda Enyaq iV is the Czech brand's first bespoke EV and an SUV attracting a lot of positive vibes from reviewers.

Nissan Ariya

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The Nissan Ariya is a capable all-rounder and a serious EV contender, but rivals have more storage space and it's by no means cheap.

Tesla Model Y

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The Tesla Model Y offers similar tech and performance to the popular Model 3 with extra practicality, but the ride quality is disappointing.

Toyota bZ4X

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The Toyota bZ4X SUV is a spacious and well-equipped electric all-rounder, but some of awkward design elements hinder its practicality.

Volkswagen ID.4

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The Volkswagen I.D.4 is a very effective EV crossover with lots of space, although promised cheaper models cannot come soon enough.

Ford Mustang Mach-E

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The Ford Mustang Mach-E has scored highly with UK reviewers, with plenty of praise for its fresh styling and strong performance.

Audi Q4 e-tron

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The Audi Q4 e-tron electric SUV offers quality, practicality and comfort, but optional extras can drive the price up very quickly.

Nissan Qashqai

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The third-generation, still British-built Nissan Qashqai remains a complete SUV – enough to keep it ahead of an ever-expanding pack?

Hyundai Tucson

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The Hyundai Tucson has been described as the company's biggest step forward to date, bringing it level with long-established brands like VW.

Lexus NX

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The second-generation Lexus NX SUV is a polished all-rounder with impressive interior quality, but top-spec plug-in models have steep pricing.

Subaru Solterra

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The electric Subaru Solterra is as refined as its bZ4X sibling, but does little to stand out when compared to its cheaper Toyota counterpart.

Lexus RZ

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The electric Lexus RZ's polished interior poses a challenge to its upmarket rivals, but its battery range can't match the best of them.

Genesis Electrified GV70

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The Genesis Electrifed GV70 is an impressive upmarket electric SUV with a generous aftersale care plan, but its key rivals are more affordable.

Mercedes-Benz EQB

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The Mercedes-Benz EQB has received mixed reviews, with impressive build quality but average battery range and an expensive price tag.

Mazda CX-30

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The Mazda CX-30 has received positive media reviews, with praise for its driving dynamics and quality but criticism for a tight cabin.

Kia Sportage

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The fifth-generation Kia Sportage is a practical and tech-filled family SUV, but alternatives offer a more comfortable driving experience.

Volkswagen ID.5

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The Volkswagen ID.5 is a capable coupé-SUV with plenty of tech and a good battery range, but it is hard to justify over its talented rivals.

Cupra Formentor

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The Cupra Formentor has received positive reviews from the UK motoring media, with praised for its styling, comfort and technology.

BYD Atto 3

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Chinese brand BYD's first model to arrive on UK roads, the Atto 3 is a credible all-electric contender that is well-equipped and reasonably priced.

Jaguar I-Pace

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The Jaguar I-Pace has received many outstanding reviews from the UK motoring and technology media, as well as winning several awards.

Mazda CX-60

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The Mazda CX-60 is a family-sized SUV with an upmarket interior, but its not as spacious as some premium rivals.

Ford Kuga

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The third-generation Ford Kuga has received positive reviews, being considered good to drive although not as spacious as most rivals.

Volvo XC60

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The Volvo XC60 has received good to very good reviews from the UK media and has won many awards since it was launched, including the 2018 World Car of the Year.

Ford Mustang Mach-E GT

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The Ford Mustang Mach-E GT is a high-performance electric SUV with serious pace and power, but reviewers find its steep price tag hard to justify.

Honda CR-V

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The sixth-generation Honda CR-V is an efficient, spacious and comfortable family-sized SUV, but some buyers will be deterred by its price tag.

Toyota RAV4

Ratings and reviews

The Toyota RAV 4 Hybrid has received generally good, if not great, reviews from the UK automotive media and ranks several points behind the best in its class.

Mercedes-Benz GLC

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The second-generation Mercedes-Benz GLC is both spacious and well-equipped, but putting your foot down won't result in many driving thrills.

Honda ZR-V

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The Honda ZR-V is a capable mid-sized crossover with a widely-praised hybrid engine, but its relatively high price tag may deter some buyers.

Land Rover Discovery Sport

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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has received very mixed media reviews since its launch, with scores rating from very poor to outstanding.

Suzuki Across

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The Suzuki Across is a RAV4 PHEV with a different badge and if you can afford its top-spec status, worth looking at.

Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV

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The electric Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is an upmarket family car with a long battery range, excellent infotainment, and an eye-watering price tag.

Mazda MX-30 R-EV

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The Mazda MX-30 R-EV is a plug-in hybrid that is certainly more usable than its EV twin, but it comes with the same practicality issues.

BMW iX3

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The BMW iX3 is quieter and more refined than the petrol or diesel X3 models on which it's based, but it's an expensive alternative.

Fisker Ocean

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The Fisker Ocean is a unique all-electric SUV proposition with a long battery range, but many reviewers take issue with its interior trim.

Citroën C5 Aircross

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The C5 Aircross has received consistently good reviews from the UK media, with particular praise for its comfortable ride and clever interior design.

Mercedes-Benz GLB

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The Mercedes-Benz GLB has an Expert Rating that ranks it in the middle of the mid-sized SUV field, although its seven-seat option is a plus.

Skoda Karoq

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The Skoda Karoq has received many good reviews and awards from the UK media, with particular praise for its practicality and value for money.

SEAT Ateca

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The SEAT Ateca has received positive scores from most of the UK media, and has won a large number of awards.

Toyota C-HR

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Frugal and rather fun, the second-generation Toyota C-HR has good family car credentials, but rivals offer better pricing and practicality.

Subaru Outback

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Blending estate car space and SUV off-roading ability, the Subaru Outback is a niche but capable car let down by a thirsty engine.

BMW X3

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The BMW X3 has received consistently positive reviews from the UK motoring media, with particular praise for its driving dynamics and high-quality interior.

Mazda CX-5

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The Mazda CX-5 has received many good media reviews, with an Expert Rating that places it at the top end of the mid-sized SUV sector.

Genesis GV70

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A generous customer service package makes the Genesis GV70 an attractive proposition, but it fails to stand up against its premium rivals in many areas.

MG HS

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The value-for-money MG HS is a spacious SUV capable of ferrying the family from A to B, but rivals offer better interior quality.

Skoda Enyaq iV vRS

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Skoda Enyaq vRS certainly looks sporty, but delivers neither the performance nor the handling that you might expect from the vRS nameplate.

Subaru Forester

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The Subaru Forester has received mixed UK reviews, with mostly poor to average scores that rank it in the bottom half of its class.

Vauxhall Grandland

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The Vauxhall Grandland has received average to good reviews from the UK media, with praise for its practicality and safety features.

Dacia Jogger

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The Dacia Jogger is a seven-seat MPV that provides unparalleled value for money –but that comes at the expense of a woeful safety rating.

KGM Korando

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The Korando is a significant improvement over the previous model. It's also the first SsangYong (now KGM) to earn a five-star safety rating.

KGM Korando e-Motion

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The KGM Korando e-Motion is an affordable electric crossover that can't match the cabin quality and driving experience of its rivals.

DS 7

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The DS 7 has received average to good media reviews, with praise for its comfort but criticism for its driving experience.

Subaru XV

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The XV has received mixed reviews from the UK automotive media, with praise for its off-road ability but criticism for its on-road dynamics.

Audi RS Q3

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The Audi RS Q3 is certainly quick in a straight line, but reviewers conclude that its SUV rivals are more fun and comfortable on the move.

Range Rover Velar

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The Range Rover Velar has received many good reviews, with praise for its design and comfort. However, it is considered expensive compared to rivals.

Suzuki S-Cross

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The Suzuki S-Cross is a good value-for-money model in the mainstream SUV market and offers a comfortable ride, but rivals are more spacious.

Jaguar F-Pace

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The Jaguar F-Pace holds an Expert Rating of 78%, which is not quite the best in its class but still competitive, and has received positive media reviews.

BMW X4

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The BMW X4 is effectively a sleeker version of the X3. Reviews have been average and running costs are high, but reliability is excellent.

Mercedes-AMG GLB 35

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The Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 is a pacy performance SUV with alluring looks, but it is not a fun to drive as some rivals, nor is it as spacious.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio

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The Alfa Romeo Stelvio has received good media reviews, but it's expensive to run and lacks the quality of the best rivals in its class.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

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The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is stunningly fast for an SUV, but it hasn’t lost all of the practicality either.

Audi Q5

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The Audi Q5 has received reasonable media reviews, with praise for its comfort levels and build quality, but it's let down by high running costs and poor reliability.

Cupra Ateca

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The Cupra Ateca has received generally good media reviews, which have praised its impressive performance and unique proposition in the marketplace.

Porsche Macan

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The Porsche Macan has received very positive media reviews, although the top-spec Turbo tends to score lower than other models in the range.

Jeep Compass

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The Jeep Compass has received poor reviews from the UK media. Our unique Expert Rating index ranks it second last in the medium SUV segment.

Maserati Grecale

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With sharp performance and handling, the Maserati Grecale is a sporty SUV with plenty of character, but reviewers conclude that it's suspension is too firm.

BMW X3 M

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The BMW X3 M is a performance-enhanced SUV with some serious punch, but reviewers find the steep pricing of top-spec models hard to justify.

BMW X4 M

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The BMW X4 M is a performance-enhanced coupé-SUV with serious pace, but reviewers take issue with its rigid ride comfort and practicality.

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Toyota C-HR (2016 to 2023)

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The Toyota C-HR has received broadly positive media reviews, with our Expert Rating putting it in the top half of a very competitive market.

Honda CR-V (2018 to 2023)

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The Honda CR-V has received mostly good media reviews, with the hybrid model generally scoring slightly better than the petrol version.

Renault Kadjar (2015 to 2022)

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The Renault Kadjar has received generally good media reviews, with praise for its styling, practicality and good equipment levels.

Peugeot 3008 (2017 to 2024)

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The Peugeot 3008 SUV has received unanimously positive media reviews, as well as many awards in the UK and internationally.

Kia Sportage (2015 to2021)

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The Kia Sportage received a range of reviews over the course of its production life, from average to outstanding. It was very good value and had a seven-year warranty.

Nissan Qashqai (2014 to 2021)

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The second-generation Nissan Qashqai was the UK's top-selling British-built car for most of its life, but was overtaken by better rivals.

Volkswagen Tiguan (2016 to 2024)

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The Volkswagen Tiguan has received generally good media reviews, with widespread praise for its refinement and practicality.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (2018 to2021)

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The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has received poor media reviews, with our Expert Rating placing it right down near the bottom of its class.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (2014 to2021)

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The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV received average to good media reviews during its production life, and was taken off sale in the UK in 2021.

Mercedes-Benz EQC (2019 to 2023)

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The Mercedes-Benz EQC takes on premium medium SUV rivals with pace and a classy interior, but loses out on space and driving fun.

Mercedes-Benz GLC (2015 to 2022)

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The Mercedes-Benz GLC received generally positive reviews from the UK media, with an overall Expert Rating that was above average for the premium SUV class.

Audi Q3 (2011 to 2018)

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The first-generation Audi Q3 is a capable and well-mannered upmarket SUV, but its infotainment and interior are now rather dated.

Ford Kuga (2013 to 2019)

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The Ford Kuga (2013 - 2019) scored average to good reviews during its production life, but was eventually outclassed by newer rivals.

Suzuki S-Cross (2013 to2021)

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The Suzuki S-Cross was a practical mid-size SUV, but it was well off the pace of a very competive line-up of better alternatives.

Volkswagen Tiguan R (2020 to 2024)

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The Volkswagen Tiguan R offers a great combination of practicality and pace, but rivals are more rewarding to drive.

Toyota RAV4 (2013 to 2019)

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Replaced in 2019, the fourth-generation Toyota RAV4 was a versatile and family-friendly SUV, but its interior was nothing special.

Lexus NX (2014 to2021)

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The NX received mixed reviews with scores rating from poor to very good. Overall, it ranked it in the bottom half of the medium SUV field.

Today in an SUV technical specification phrases such as all-wheel-drive are rare, low-ratio transfer boxes almost non-existent – a typical 2021 medium SUV is a high-riding family car with styling panels designed to give it a more muscular visual appearance. Even SUV body shapes, once box-like and bulbous, have in recent years become sleeker and much closer to their family hatchback sister models.

There is a wide and ever-growing choice of medium SUVs – not only have mainstream manufacturers rushed to tempt with new models, but all of the upmarket brands have also got in on the act with such newcomers as the Jaguar E-Pace. And with models such as its Macan, today Porsche sells many more SUVs than sports cars.

Electric choices are at present few when it comes to medium SUVs, with the Jaguar I-Pace leading the way, but this will change rapidly, with a host of new electric models on the way.

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